


Night Zero - Part 1

by muggleweasley



Category: Original Work
Genre: Fear, Horror, Pre-Zombie Apocalypse, Psychological Horror
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-28
Updated: 2019-10-28
Packaged: 2021-01-05 18:27:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 1,292
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21213095
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/muggleweasley/pseuds/muggleweasley





	1. Chapter 1

Although nestled on the edge of the deep, dark forest, the diner was a beacon of hope for those who have journeyed. A mixture of timber and bright white lights, its sight had beckoned many a passerby. Come rain or shine, the people would come, with smiles aplenty and problems none. Tonight, however, darkness consumed, for ne’er a soul had yet to come through.

_Ding!_

Until now, that was.

“Hello?”

Confused and dishevelled, a woman stumbled in, the storm outside she had brought in.

“Hello? Anybody there?”

Thunder rumbled as light filled inside, everything within thrown into highlight;

Stools and booths had conquered each side as if at war, the small screen above acting as their overlord. A woman can be seen plastered across the screen, the expression she had far from serene.

_“This just in, chaos erupts in Roessel as what was once considered a peaceful protest escalated into a violent rampage. The authorities have asked everyone to remain indoors and to not leave their respective homes. Do not leave your homes, I repeat, do not leave your homes.”_

Scenes of a riot then began to play out, bloodied and brutal and animalistic somehow...

“Those can’t be--”

From somewhere unknown, a soft click was heard, immediately followed by a low sounding whirr. The keys of a piano then began to play, the quiet desperation of a man out on display;

_Wake... from your sleep _

_The drying of your tears _

_Today we escape, we escape _

Trepidation and dread had swallowed her whole while her heart beat out an arrhythmic song. The air that surrounds had ominously turned heavy as the woman felt suddenly the eyes of many.

“Is someone there?”

Silence pervaded for almost a moment long, before the lights turned on as if in response. From behind the counter, a tall man emerged, his smile welcoming albeit slightly concerned.

“I see that you’ve finally decided to join us,” he greeted, “Why don’t you grab a seat, I’ll get you something to eat.”

Cautious and dubious, the woman stood rooted, wondering if her exhaustion had had her deluded. There was something about the diner, in that she was certain, but what exactly it was…

_Thump _

“Are you alright?” she heard the man ask, “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

_Thump _

Out of the corner of her eye, phantasms came into sight, the materialisation of which had set her affright. Blue and grey, their skins were tinged, all lumbering towards her with a hungered grin.

_Dido demo teo. Adie f'et wc'erne._

In tongues they spoke words unknown, harsh sounding whispers that sent chills down her bone.

“No, no, no, no, no, no.”

She was certain that she had escaped the cursed house from whence they came, but never had she thought that they would have found their way to her again. She panickedly took a step back only to fall, her other means of escape now on all fours.

“Stop, please, stop--”

Her head had felt like it was about to explode as the voices inside filled ‘til it overflowed. Her eyes and ears she squeezed tightly shut, hoping that the entities would leave her mercifully untouched.

“Go away!” she screamed, “Go away! Go away!”

The presence of another she had felt suddenly beside her, despite its enveloping warmth had deeply petrified her. Tremors, barely soft, overtook her body whole when a long fingered hand touched her as if to console.

“Calm down,” a familiar voice spoke, “It's just me. Nothing to be afraid of.”

Go away!

“You're not real,” she shook her head in disbelief, “None of this is real.”

“I don't understand…”

Go away!

She squeezed her eyes tighter, “Not real, not real, not real.”

Louder and louder the voices became, each one enough to drive her insane:

**Voice 1**: I think that she’s having an episode.

**Voice 2**: How can you tell?

**Voice 1**: I don’t know... but I’ve seen it on TV, though.

**Voice 3**: Should we pull her out?

**Voice 1**: I guess? Waiting it out is an option.

**Voice 3**: But what about the other customers? We can’t have her scaring them.

**Voice 2**: Fine, I’ll do it.

A pair of hands she felt curled around her wrists, the force exerted she chose to resist. With all its might it pulled and it pulled, the more it tried, the more she withstood.

Go--

One last tug it heavily gave, the one in which she finally caved. Her eyes flung open as her whole body jolted, the world laid before her had her mind eroded.

“Wh-what...?”

The atmosphere all around in an instant grew warm as the true image of the diner began to take form. Workers and patrons filled the diner whole, the apparitions that she had seen prior now gone into the unknown. About her they spoke in voices of agitation and worry, the younger ones especially calling her the crazy, scary lady.

“I--I--”

Her attention she redirected towards the three men who stood before her, one of them being the tall man who had greeted her before. A few times more she blinked her eyes just to make certain that the scared faces staring back at her weren’t just an illusion.

“Travelling in that storm must have taken a toll on you,” said the tall man, “Maybe some food will do you good.”


	2. Chapter 2

Their sinistrous utterances refused to fade but had instead burrowed its way into her brain,

  


_D_ _ido demo teo. Adie f'et wc'erne._

_Did_ _o_ _ demo teo. Adie f'et wc'erne._

_Dido dem_ _o_ _ teo. Adie f'et wc'erne._

like a distant memory it sang like an echo,

  


_Dido de_ _m_ _o teo. Adie f'et wc'erne._

_Dido d_ _e_ _mo teo. Adie f'et wc'erne._

_Dido _ _d_ _emo teo. Adie f'et wc'erne._

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


creeping and lurking a tireless shadow...


	3. Chapter 3

Into the darkened forest her eyes stared and lingered, the stillness of her car creating barely a whisper; events of earlier kept playing within her mind as a thousand and one questions chased each other around inside. 

_“Dreams bleeding into reality, an unfortunate result... but it is simply that.”_

_“The creatives refer to them as ‘waking nightmares’. But I’d rather that we call them for what they truly are: hallucinations”_

_“That house is merely a house. A vessel for weary souls to call home.”_

_“Breathe through each episode and remind yourself that none of them are real. That they’re all happening **inside your head**.”_

But… but what if they had been false all this while? That the apparitions she had seen weren't just figments of her mind? 

“Nick.”

With haste she reached for the phone that sat beside, her growing desperation she could no longer disguise. Across its black mirror her fingers quickly danced, _“__Paranoia_ each _will _number _plague _she _you _pressed _wherever _more _you _furious _go__.” _than the last. 

“Pick up. Pick up. Pick up.”

She placed it close to her ear once done, fretfully awaiting the voice of someone. 

.. 

.. 

.. 

“The number you have dialled is currently unavailable. Please try again later.”

...shit

..shit

.shit

Shit!

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


Writhing out from the black was a darkened silhouette, its orbs glazed over like a demon possessed. One step it took, followed heavily by another, hungrily inching itself ever so closer...


	4. Chapter 4

**13** ** th ** ** August 2010, Friday**

**0200hrs, Entry #1**

My blood ran cold when I first caught its sight, an empty face with a crimson smile. Inches away it floated above, a malignant creature with malicious intent.

_Fight. Flight. **Freeze**. _

_Fight. Flight. **Freeze**. _

** _Freeze_ ** _. Freeze. **Freeze**. _

Frightened and helpless, I could barely move, as a low, guttural sound escaped its widening maw.

“Go away!” I wanted to say, 

“**Go away**!” I wanted to scream.

But the only thing that I could do was to shut my eyes... 

and pray.


End file.
